Patents Assigned to Amazon Technologies
  • Patent number: 9607100
    Abstract: A method and system for providing inline search suggestions for a search string submitted by a user of an electronic marketplace is provided. A user submits a search string via a search interface in a computing device of the user. An electronic marketplace system receives the search string and identifies individual search terms in the search string that can be logically grouped together to form one or more segments in the search string. The electronic marketplace identifies a plurality of search strings submitted by a plurality of users that may relate to identified segments of search string submitted by the user. In one embodiment, the user selects a particular segment of the search string via the search interface. The electronic marketplace provides suggested search terms related to the identified segment to the user via the search interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Erica Nichol Ware, Luis Antonio Diniz Fernandes de Morais Sarmento, Sarah Esther Williams
  • Patent number: 9607029
    Abstract: Technologies are disclosed for mapping documents to candidate duplicate documents in a document corpus. A bitset optimized inverted index is created for a document corpus. A document is received for which candidate duplicate documents in the document corpus are to be identified. The document is tokenized using adaptive tokenization. A determination made as to whether tokens in the document are represented in the bitset optimized inverted index. A list of candidate duplicate documents is created for tokens represented in the optimized inverted index utilizing in-memory bitsets that map tokens to documents that contain the tokens in the document corpus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sivaranjini Dharmalingam, Nathan Thomas Close, Shantanu Shailendrakumar Fauji, Sean Gwizdak, Jiahui Jiang, Yohan Mammen, Roshan Rammohan
  • Patent number: 9607315
    Abstract: Techniques for enabling an augmented reality system to complement operation of existing output devices in an environment are described herein. An augmented reality system may include one or more augmented reality functional nodes (ARFNs) that are configured to project content onto different non-powered and/or powered display mediums. The ARFN may identify existing output devices, as well as any content that these content output devices currently output. The ARFN may then either take over the display of the content when appropriate, or may project related content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: William Spencer Worley, III
  • Patent number: 9607215
    Abstract: Techniques are described for detecting the presence and positions of fingers using depth information. For each of multiple target points represented by a depth image, an evaluation is performed using a region of points surrounding the pixel. The region has an inner zone and side zones. Multiple iterations are performed for each target pixel, with different sizes and orientations of the region being used in the different iterations. An average depth and an average surface normal direction are determined for each zone. The average depth and average surface normal direction of the inner zone are compared to the average depths and the average surface normal directions of the side zones to determine whether the target pixel is part of a finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Manika Puri
  • Patent number: 9607785
    Abstract: A circuit breaker can actuate to a closed condition and to an open condition. An assembly for the circuit breaker can include an obstacle that can be positioned to obstruct one form of actuation while permitting another form of actuation. The obstacle can be moved from the obstructing position to allow multiple forms of actuation. The obstacle may permit manual actuation of the circuit to an open state in any position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Osvaldo P. Morales, Michael P. Czamara
  • Patent number: 9606713
    Abstract: A user may interact with a control interface in the course of interacting with electronic content. The control interface may include any user interface utilized to adjust various aspects of an application, including, but not limited to, scroll bars, sliders, and/or navigation windows. Input at the control interface may be received from the user indicating that the user desires to manipulate the electronic content (e.g., jump to another location in a movie) or, alternatively, that the user wishes to manipulate the control interface. Upon determining that the input is intended to manipulate the control interface, the control interface may be adjusted to display a control interface view that provides finer or coarser granularity, allowing the user to interact with the control interface with more accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mayank Thakore
  • Patent number: 9609577
    Abstract: Techniques for providing friction-free transactions using geolocation and user identifiers are described herein. These techniques may ascertain a user's location based on a location of a mobile device. A transaction between the user and a merchant may be completed with zero or minimal input from the user based on the geolocation of the mobile device and the user identifiers. In some implementations, a transaction initiated earlier is completed when the mobile device arrives at the merchant. Additionally, a parent-child or similar relationship may be established between multiple devices. Security on the mobile device based may be provided by biometric identification and calculation of variance from regular movement patterns. Advertisements may be sent to the mobile device based on bids from merchants near to the mobile device. Promotions may be sent to the mobile device when more than a threshold number of mobile devices are located at the same merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Harsha Ramalingam, Michael Carr, Paul J. Walsh
  • Patent number: 9607316
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that use social networking profiles of users to generate personalized content of display pages. The personalized content may be generated using profile data retrieved via an application program interface of a social networking system, and may be presented on the display pages of a distinct system, such as a site that hosts an electronic catalog of items. The personalized content may include features that allow a user to indicate a like or preference for an item and that can be customized based on, e.g., the extent of the user's social network or the influence the user has over other potential users of the catalog system. Systems and methods are also disclosed that use the social networking profiles to generate personalized messages that can be posted to social network contacts of the user to provide information about items for which the contacts may be interested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeetendra Mirchandani, Sumit Kumar Sultania, Vinayak R. Hegde
  • Patent number: 9607020
    Abstract: Described are techniques and systems to migrate data from a first data structure to a second data structure stored in datastores which are replicated with one another. A “hot” datastore is replicated with one or more “warm” datastores. Triggers maintain consistency between the first data structure and the second data structure. Migration may involve testing using the second data structure of the “warm” datastore. Data processed by the first data structure on the “hot” datastore is distributed via replication to the “warm” datastore, and then by a trigger to the second data structure. Data processed by the second data structure on the “warm” datastore is distributed via trigger to the first data structure, and then by replication to the “hot” datastore. Once performance of the second data structure is deemed acceptable, the “warm” datastore may be designated as “hot” and synonyms therein may direct data to the second data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Maria Selvam Don Bosco, Shobhit Goyal, Adnan Ahmed Lateefi, Vishal Prabhakar
  • Patent number: 9607143
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for provisioning account credentials via a trusted channel. An identification of an account is received. A security credential reset corresponding to the account is requested. The account is linked to a trusted channel of communication for reset purposes. A security credential communication corresponding to the account is received via the trusted channel of communication. The security credential communication may be parsed to obtain a token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William Alexander Strand, Jesper Mikael Johansson, Luan Khai Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9607207
    Abstract: Techniques are described for determining edge pixels from a depth map in order to identify edges of an object within an environment. The techniques may fit a plane to a group of pixels comprising a subject pixel and neighbors of the subject pixel. Each pixel of the group may then be classified as either an inlier pixel or an outlier pixel, and a ratio of inlier pixels to outlier pixels of the group may be calculated. The techniques then compare this ratio to a threshold ratio to designate the subject pixel as either an edge pixel or a non-edge pixel. Edge pixels designated in this manner may then be used to identify object edges and, hence, objects in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Manika Puri
  • Patent number: 9606899
    Abstract: The techniques described herein provide software testing that may concurrently process a user request using a live version of software and a shadow request, which is based on the user request, using a shadow version of software (e.g., trial or test version, etc.). The live version of software, unlike the shadow version, is user-facing and transmits data back to the users while the shadow request does not output to the users. An allocation module may vary allocation of the shadow requests to enable a ramp up of allocations (or possibly ramp down) of the shadow version of software. The allocation module may use allocation rules to dynamically initiate the shadow request based on various factors such as load balancing, user attributes, and/or other rules or logic. Thus, not all user requests may be issued as shadow requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Peter V. Commons, Ivan Eduardo Gonzalez, Amos Dylan Vance, Kendra A. Yourtee, Thomas L. Keller
  • Patent number: 9607557
    Abstract: An electrowetting display apparatus includes a first substrate including a first electrode that receives a gray-scale voltage and a second electrode insulated from the first electrode and receiving a reference voltage, a second substrate, a fluid layer, and a color filter. The color filter has a first thickness in an area corresponding to the first electrode and a second thickness in an area corresponding to the second electrode, and the first thickness is larger than the second thickness. Accordingly, a cell gap of the electrowetting display apparatus is reduced, and color reproducibility of the electrowetting display apparatus is improved without sacrificing brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanghyun Lee, Yungkyung Park, Dohyoung Kwon, Gichang Park, Jongseo Lee, Andrea Giraldo, Nicolas Bergeron
  • Patent number: 9606983
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for representing information, such as binary sequence, in a manner that is easier to read and less likely to generate errors when interacted with by human. A dictionary is seeded with two or more set of words, the words being selected from distinct categories. Symbols may be created by combining words from the distinct categories. A mapping of symbols to corresponding values may then be generated. The generated mapping may be used to translate bit values to symbols and symbols to bit values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Arron McClintock, Darren Ernest Canavor, Jesper Mikael Johansson
  • Patent number: 9607162
    Abstract: A support system negotiates secure connections on behalf of multiple guest systems using a set of credentials associated with the guest systems. The operation of the secure connection may be transparent to the guest system such that guest system may send and receive messages that are encrypted or decrypted by the support system, such as a hypervisor. As the support system is in between the guest system and a destination, the support system may act as a local endpoint to the secure connection. Messages may be altered by the support system to indicate to a guest system which communications were secured. The credentials may be managed by the support system such that the guest system does not require access to the credentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory B. Roth, Eric D. Crahen, Graeme D. Baer, Eric J. Brandwine, Nathan R. Fitch
  • Patent number: 9609468
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques and systems for inter-device bearing estimation. Particularly, sensor fusion techniques are disclosed that combine motion data of a local computing device with beamforming data of the local computing device to determine a line-of-site path between the local computing device and a remote computing device. A motion sensor(s) of a local computing device may generate motion data from movement of the local computing device. The local computing device may further determine a direction, relative to the local computing device, of a beampattern in which an antenna(s) of the local computing device radiates energy, the beampattern direction being along a communication path between the local computing device and a remote computing device. The local device may then determine, based at least in part on the motion data and the direction of the beampattern, whether the communication path corresponds to a line-of-sight path between the local and remote devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomer Moscovich, Oliver Huy Doan
  • Patent number: 9607656
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing playback of media content based on dynamic multiple video ratings. Scenes of media content can be associated with content indicators describing the types of activities within the scene. The content indicators can be used to generate ratings for scenes of the media content and the ratings can be used to modify playback of the media content, for example, by skipping playback of scenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hakan Serce
  • Patent number: 9609305
    Abstract: Depth information can be used to assist with image processing functionality, such as various calibration approaches to determine and correct for misalignments between cameras. In at least some embodiments, depth information obtained from stereo imaging or distance sensing, for example, can be used to segment an image or frame of video into at least a foreground object and a background object. Once the foreground and background object has been determined, information about that objects can be used to determine a mapping, and once a subsequent stereoscopic image is captured using the cameras, the mapping can be applied to each image to account for misalignment effects due to a misaligned stereo camera pair before providing the stereoscopic image for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Sharadh Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9608813
    Abstract: A plurality of devices have common access to a cryptographic key. The cryptographic key is rotated by providing the devices simultaneous access to both the cryptographic key and a new cryptographic key and then revoking access to the cryptographic key. Keys stored externally and encrypted under the cryptographic key can be reencrypted under the new cryptographic key. Keys intended for electronic shredding can be left encrypted under the old cryptographic key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Branchek Roth, Matthew James Wren, Eric Jason Brandwine, Brian Irl Pratt
  • Patent number: 9609402
    Abstract: Optical networks may store information or data therein by maintaining the information or data in motion. The optical networks may include optical fiber rings configured to receive optical signals comprising the information or data and to circulate the optical signals within the optical fiber rings. The optical signals and the information or data may be transferred out of the optical fiber rings in order to amplify the optical signals (e.g., to overcome losses due to attenuation within the optical fiber rings), to analyze the optical signals according to one or more processing techniques, or to transfer the information or data to another computer device upon request. If continued storage of the information or data is required, an optical signal including the information or data may be transferred back into the optical fiber rings and may continue to circulate therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Michael Long, Pragyana K. Mishra